Rajasthan Educational vacation on Art and Craft

Environment

We are committed to using locally produced sustainable materials. Jog Niwas Palace, where guests stay on this tour, used only local sourced sustainable materials to build and restore by local artisans and conservators.

Jog Niwas planted indigenous trees and plants that encourage local bird and animal species to come into the interior and exterior gardens for relaxing and with this implantation species such as purple sun-birds and Indain rollers and peacocks make the gardens and area their homes. Many other rare bird and animal species such as Spotted Owlet, Gazelle, Desert Hare and Desert Fox thrive here as watering holes and indigenous feeds are given as a supplement in areas that were built for animals so that during the hottest summer months they have an extra food and water source when needed.

Waste materials from bathrooms at this accommodation enter a septic that was built with natural materials that filter and cause the waste materials to be converted to harmless water. Nearby villagers are educated on the importance of not throwing non-recyclable materials into forest areas and plastic cups that in recent years have been used by villagers for tea and coffee have now been replaced by biodegradable natural mud cups that were traditionally used before plastic was introduced into these areas. Guests are informed and instructed on our devotion to local conservation efforts between villagers and how they are educated to co-exist well with the wildlife near them so that both benefit from each other. All food and foodstuffs used on our tour are locally grown produce.

The Tea that is given during Low Tea at Jog Niwas is produced by organic methods without pesticides or the use of any other water source except rain water. All materials and items made by the local artisans we patron are made from sustainable and renewable resources and are all made by hand without electricity or machines. The dyes that are produced and used in the textiles and polishing of different items made by these artisans are all collected ecologically from natural sources such as from vegetables and fruits that are grown locally.

Community

We are a Rajput Aristocratic family that for 40 generations have patroned and conserved the rarest of South Asian Fine and Decorative Art mediums. Local artisans historically under the patronage of the present-day erstwhile Indian royalty and aristocratic families produced many of the highest level handwoven textiles, precious gemstone and precious metal inlays, hand fabricated jewels, statuary, paintings, furniture, real perfume and precious cosmetics made in the World , all produced with sustainable systems and proprietary methods.

After Indian Independence many of these Indian fine and decorative art mediums had, over the decades, become endangered and some extinct due to the lack of patronage and education on their importance and rarity.

We committed ourselves a decade ago to save the remaining master mediums, and to revive the extinct ones, by renewing the traditional patroning system of of our region. Today we have accomplished this by working with the remaining master level artisans, and their families, on traditional methods and processes, indigenous raw material sourcing with sustainable methods, and strict quality control that in many cases now surpass the different mediums historical high level. In 2012 we established a research institute, library and salon for the promotion and education of these master art mediums and for the artists and artisans that created them.

We are committed to supporting and preserving our local culture, traditions, artists, artisans, and their families. We presently patron over 80 of Rajasthan and India's master artisans to both ensure the survival and continuation of these fine art mediums from our heritage, and to give constant financial support to the artists, artisans and their families.

We only patron locally owned and operated hotels that employ local staff and when they were built, or restored, used only local artisans. For our cultural music and dance programs only local professional musicians and dancers are patroned.